


she knows her way around

by Sanna_Black_Slytherin



Series: même la nuit la plus sombre prendra [3]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Cosette is a cinnamon roll, F/F, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Polyamory, coffee dates, Éponine is Skeptical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-29 02:13:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,181
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11431032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanna_Black_Slytherin/pseuds/Sanna_Black_Slytherin
Summary: In which Cosette courts Éponine through coffee dates.





	she knows her way around

**Author's Note:**

> This might actually be the shortest thing I've ever written.

One of the first things Cosette did upon returning was to track down Éponine. This, like her last attempt at finding a person who should, by all accounts, be relatively easy to find, took longer than anticipated. Éponine elevated avoiding Cosette to an art, and Cosette had more than an inkling as to why.

Well. That wouldn't stand for long.

Cosette caught up with Éponine during one of Enjolras’ bi-weekly meetings. (The schedule in question was a compromise between Enjolras’ we-need-no-less-than-four-meetings-a-week plan, and Courfeyrac's one-meeting-is-enough-Jesus-Christ-I-need-my-beauty-sleep counteroffer.)

Éponine looked up when Cosette sat down next to her. When she registered who sat down next to her, she averted her eyes, focusing an inordinate amount of attention on the pamphlet in front of her.

“Hello,” Cosette began cheerfully.

Éponine flashed her a tentative smile. “Hi.”

“You got saddled with pamphlet duty, didn't you?”

“With the layout,” Éponine corrected her. “If our resident supermodel got his way, it would consist solely of information in run-on sentences worthy of Hegel himself.”

Cosette winced. “Yes, Enjolras doesn't seem to have understood that shoveling information down people's throats isn't the most effective way of catching their attention.”

“Well,” Éponine was warming up to the topic, “it _ does _ catch their attention, but not in a positive way.”

“Not in a way that would benefit us,” Cosette finished, as clever as always.

She waited a moment. Éponine glanced back at her; she concluded that Cosette didn’t have anything to add, and went back to reviewing the pamphlet.

“Do you want to grab a coffee after this?” Cosette suggested suddenly.

Éponine drew in a sharp breath. She scanned the room. “Is Marius here?” she asked in lieu of answering Cosette’s question.

“Despite what certain individuals might think,” Cosette said, her eyes involuntarily being drawn to one of the corners, where Enjolras was gesticulating wildly, obviously passionate about the topic, while Grantaire had a bored expression on his face, “my existence does not solely consist of being Marius’ plus one.”

Éponine started. “I didn't mean to imply that it did.”

Cosette laughed. “I know you didn't,” she assured the brunette. “Am I to take that as a rejection?” she prodded gently.

Éponine bit her lip. On one hand, time alone with Cosette. On the other,  _ time alone with Cosette. _ What the hell. “No, I’d love to go,” she told Cosette in a carefully neutral voice.

Cosette raised an eyebrow. “Tone down your excitement,” she said sarcastically. “One might almost infer that it would be a punishment.”

“ _ No! _ ” Éponine shouted. As one, every head turned towards her. Well, every head but those of the arguing couple in the corner, but it would require a virtual gunshot to tear Enjolras away from one of his causes, and even then, it would probably be because the gunshot was a harbinger of another cause, be it police shootings or gun violence.

Éponine waved away the attention, and almost everyone eventually went back to what they had been doing. Only Courfeyrac’s eyes were still on the two women, a sharp look in them, as though he saw something the rest of them didn’t. Éponine had half a mind to go over and ask him what it was he saw, but she doubted that he would answer her truthfully. In all probability, he’d just give her a slip, a knowing smirk on his lips. Éponine sometimes hated Courfeyrac; other times, she wanted to punch him. It was a pretty great friendship.

Cosette didn’t prompt her, didn’t rush her, didn’t ‘you were saying’ her. Éponine’s esteem of the blonde rose up another notch. She let out a breath. “No,” she repeated. “It would be very nice to spend time with you. I just–“ she grasped for words. “Why are you being so nice to me? I was terribly cruel towards you.”

Pearly laughter. Éponine could drown in that sound. “I'm not one for holding grudges, ma amie,” Cosette said, and  _ this right here _ , this was why Éponine was low-key in love with Cosette.

(That, and–  _ well _ , anyone with a pair of eyes who wasn’t Enjolras would understand.)

“In that case,” Éponine said, “I’d love to go with you. Out for coffee.” This was going well.

God, Éponine thought as Cosette gave her another one of her radiant smiles that seemed to light up an entire room, she was  _ so screwed. _

* * *

 

Éponine was going insane. Literally batshit insane.

“ _ Mind accompanying me for a quick lunch?” _

_ Suspicious pause. “You’re not taking me to that godawful shop again, are you?” _

_ Snicker. “No, I do actually know more than one café around here.” _

_ “I bet you do.” _

Cosette was so  _ frustrating _ . One moment, it almost seemed as if Cosette was going to ask her out — wishful thinking, Éponine knew that, especially taking Marius into account — only to, the next second, distance herself from Éponine as though burnt.

“ _ Do you have a few minutes?” _

_ “What is– do you– for you, always.” _

“Here,” Cosette said, cutting into Éponine’s thoughts. “Your tea.”

“How did you know my tea order?” Éponine asked suspiciously. “We’ve never gone out for tea.”

Cosette smirked. “You’re not the only one who knows things around here.”

Éponine shook her head. “Listen,” she began, “if this is some sort of experiment for you to see whether you’re gay, I don’t want to be a pa–“

“It’s not,” Cosette cut Éponine off. “I  _ know _ I’m bisexual.”

Éponine narrowed her eyes. “Then why are you doing this?” she snapped.

Cosette’s smile disappeared. “Is it so hard to understand that I genuinely want to do a nice thing for you?”

“ _ Yes _ ,” Éponine said loudly. “I can’t figure out what you’re up to. It’s unsettling.”

Cosette sighed. “I really like you,” she said bluntly. “And I know that you still have your doubts as to my intentions, considering our past, but I swear that my only intention is to get to know you better. And, hopefully – if you’re open to the idea, that is – become your girlfriend.”

Éponine’s thoughts came to a grounding halt. “Have you and Marius broken up?” Éponine blinked. She found that hard to believe.

Cosette smiled. “No. I’ve talked to him about it, and he has said that he’s okay with us dating. I’d still be dating him. Just, you know, you as well.”

“A V?” Éponine asked to ascertain.

“Exactly,” Cosette beamed.

Éponine frowned. On one hand, she hadn’t been expecting to ever be able to be with Cosette in any capacity, so this double relationship was more than she had hoped for; on the other hand, she didn’t want to come between Marius and Cosette. She didn’t want to be the person to ruin their relationship.

“You aren’t going to. We are very secure in our feelings for each other for this,” Cosette assured her. Only then did Éponine realize that she had said the last part out loud.

Cosette offered Éponine her hand. “So?” she challenged.

That one innocuous two-letter word was loaded with more implications than Éponine cared to keep track of.

Éponine glanced between Cosette and her arm. Her mind made up, she reached for it. “So.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts?


End file.
